WE DON’T TALK much about toilets . . . until ours stop working. And then we talk of little else.
The sound of a tank constantly filling tipped me off that the time was up for my Kohler. It was more than a flapper replacement. Pretty, sleek, one piece, but that doesn’t get you very far when the innards give out.
Rebuild the inside for several hundred dollars, or . . . ? No contest: Take me to Toto! Is the Drake a little less sleek? Yeah, but on the bright side I no longer have to bend over to reach the flush handle. My two-piece Drake is no beauty queen don’t get me wrong, it looks fine!), but it is “comfort height,” which is not such a bad thing to have around since I’m not planning on being 50 forever (stop that snickering!).
Also, the guy from O’Neill Plumbing showed me a little trick. Instead of paying more for the (desirable) dual-flush mechanism, I can make my Toto do the two-step just by adjusting how long I hold down the flush handle. Genius!
Our pals at Houzz.com explain more things to be considered when contemplating our porcelain friends. Watch the slideshow.
—Nancy McKeon
